Wagering games can include casino gambling, lotteries, instant-win tickets, etc. Some of these games involve interactive game-play between the game player and a gaming machine. For example, some casinos have video slot machines, which are video-based versions of conventional slot machines. Other types of video-based wagering machines are also possible.
The user's experience with a video-based wagering machine typically involves an interactive wagering session in which the game player sits near the gaming machine and physically interacts with controls of the gaming machine to place wagers and advance game-play. For example, the interaction can include pushing buttons, pulling levers, etc., which are physically located on the gaming machine. However, because wagering sessions involving a particular game player can be lengthy, several problems arise in regards to this typical user experience.
For example, the game player may become fatigued by continuously reaching out to the gaming machine to activate buttons or levers, located on the gaming machine, over a long period of time. This in turn may act to reduce the average length of the wagering session, which is undesirable for manufacturers of gaming machines, because to maximize profit associated with the wagering game, it is desirable for any given wagering session to be as long as possible. Additionally, because the game player must physically interact with buttons or levers located on the gaming machine, the player must necessarily remain physically proximate to the gaming machine. This can also act to undesirably reduce the length of a wagering session because the game player may become uncomfortable with being tethered to one physical location for a long time. For example, the game player may wish to interact with a companion a short distance away, but be unable to do so without forfeiting control of the gaming machine and ending the wagering session.
Other aspects of wagering games complicate and increase the difficulty of determining solutions to the problems discussed above. For example, by their very nature, wagering games involve the exchange of money and therefore security concerns, and this increases the difficulty of applying solutions from non-wagering game to wagering games. Additionally, because it is desirable for wagering games is to provide a pleasant and fun experience for the game player, the user experience typically involves the consumption of food and beverages, which can present undesirable consequences upon application to electronic equipment, such as electric shorting or other types of equipment failure.